Interview mit Highlives (August 2016)

For starters, why don’t you briefly introduce HIGHLIVES and its members?

Liam: HIGHLIVES consists of Liam on vocals, Ben and Jordan on guitar/vocals, Mark on bass and Steve on drums.

You describe your music as pop punk, which foremost brings successful US-acts such as BLINK-182 or ALL TIME LOW to mind. For me personally that’s falling a bit short given that your last EP „Misguided Youth“ has much more to offer than formulaic charts tunes. What does pop punk in general mean to you?

Liam: Pop punk is something that a lot of people in their early twenties now grew up listening to. I think pop punk is in a really good place right now. It’s come back around, it’s cool again, but it’s grown up with us. I think a lot of bands are putting out a much more mature sound than the likes of old-school BLINK-182 and NEW FOUND GLORY. Not to say those bands aren’t just as awesome!

What bands or artists are you influenced by?

Liam: We’re all influenced by a range of bands. THE WONDER YEARS have always been a big one for me.

You released „Misguided Youth“ almost a year ago. What can you tell us about the working process on this output?

Liam: It was a lot of fun! Nolly from Periphery produced it for us. He’s a great guy and it really helped to have an outside perspective when writing/recording. We felt it was a huge step up from our previous releases, but we plan on raising the bar even higher for future releases.

„Misguided Youth“ was produced and released DIY. Do you like being in total control or haven‘t you just found the right label to support your ambitions yet?

Liam: To have a label behind us would be AWESOME, but we just haven’t been approached by the right one yet. We’ve never been a band to rush into things. We always like to wait for the right opportunity to come along.

What are your lyrics dealing with?

Liam: In our latest EP „Misguided Youth“, the lyrics touch on subjects such as growing up, university and mental health.

How have the reactions on „Misguided Youth“ been?

Liam: It’s been great! We’ve seen a huge increase in following since the release. It’s also been featured by Kerrang, Rock Sound and Scuzz TV.

You have produced videos for a couple of your songs. Is the whole process behind it fun for you or a necessity in order to present your music to a wider audience?

Liam: I don’t think it’s actually a necessity at the stage that we’re at. It’s definitely a lot of fun though. I think it’s a good way to add some extra meaning to a song, or to just visually capture the passion that goes into it.

What comes next for HIGHLIVES?

Liam: We have a tour coming up in October. I’m sure there will be another EP at some point too. We’re already throwing around ideas.

People who want to get in touch with you or want to get the idea what your music is all about should…

Liam: Hit us up on social media. We make sure our music is very accessible, so you’ll easily find what you’re looking for!